Norwich

Norwich's population expanded in the decade leading up to the most recent census. At the same time there were changes in religion, health and marriage.

The population passed 130,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Norwich increased by 9.0%, from just under 122,000 to 133,000.

The addition of just under 11,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Norwich was home to, on average, 24 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

A younger Norwich

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Norwich decreased by one year, from 35 to 34 years.

This city had the third-lowest average age in Eastof England and remained younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of almost 5,800 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 70 and 79 years decreased by just over 700.

About 21% of people in Norwich are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Norwich by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Norwich

The number of people in Norwich that described themselves as Christian increased from about 73,000 in 2001 to just under 60,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 60% to 45% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 72% to 59%) and the average across England (from 72% to 59%).

The number of people in Norwich that described themselves as having no religion increased from just under 34,000 in 2001 to just over 56,000 in 2011 (from 28% to 42%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation decreased from just under 12,000 to just under 11,000 (from 9.6% to 8.2%).

Just over 2,600 people (0.7%) said they were Muslim, up from about 890 in 2001 (2.0%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population who identified as Christian in Norwich decreased by 16 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Norwich by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Norwich residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 9.8% to 5.7% in the decade to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (80%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 65% in 2001. The percentage of Norwich residents that described their health as fair decreased from 25% to 14%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad decreased faster here than in any other local authority district across Eastof England, while the percentage of residents that perceived their health as good or very good grew faster than anywhere else in the region

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Norwich decreased by 4.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Norwich, Eastof England and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More students

This area saw Eastof England's second-largest rise in the proportion of students.

Across the region, only Welwyn Hatfield saw a greater rise in the proportion of students (from 4.0% to 6.8%).

Every local authority area across Eastof England saw a rise in the proportion of students, as the regional average grew from 2.3% to 3.0%.

In 2011, just over 1 in 19 (5.4%) people aged 16 to 74 in Norwich said they were in education, compared with 3.5% in 2001. The percentage that were employed increased from 51% to 51%.

The percentage of students in Norwich increased by 1.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Norwich, Eastof England and England that said they were in education, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

This area saw Eastof England's largest fall in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

Across the region, Watford saw the next largest decrease in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents (from 9.8% in 2001 to 9.4% in 2011).

In 2011, just under 1 in 15 (6.7%) households in Norwich had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 7.5% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 24% to 23%.

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of households that where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

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